Drew Pinsky The 1980 graduate of Amherst College was in town recently to visit the college with his triplets – two sons and a daughter – who would love nothing more than to follow their father here, he said. They’re currently high school juniors. He also spoke to students and answered questions.

Through his work, Pinsky said, “I hope to make a difference, helping people understand what’s healthy and what’s not.”

Pinsky also had praise for his alma mater.

“It was grueling, it was the most important thing I ever did. My head came online right here,” he said. “I love coming back.”

Known as “Dr. Drew,” Pinsky is a board-certified doctor in internal and addiction medicine, but better known as the executive producer and host of the television series “Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew,” “Sober House” and “Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew.” He’s also the host of the nationally syndicated radio show “Loveline.” He has written several books and is often a commentator on a variety of television programs and quoted in magazines on the topic of addiction.

“I’m living in different universes. I like the three different worlds,” he said, referring to his medical practice, his television and his radio work. “It’s more interesting.”

While Pinsky knew he would be a doctor, he never aspired to become a TV or radio personality. He said he actually had his first radio gig at Amherst when he was asked to read the news for a sick friend. Ironically, the report was about Elvis Presley and drugs.

Pinsky said he ended up treating addiction by chance as well, moonlighting in a psychiatric hospital.

“Abuse of prescription drugs is off the charts,” he said.

Young people especially are abusing drugs and becoming addicted, he said. They often find drugs in a medicine cabinet and think, because they are prescribed by a doctor, they are not harmful, he said.

Pinsky, who has written and talked about celebrity, believes that the public is fascinated with famous people because they “like to bask in their glow” and then “kick them when they’re down” as a kind of human sacrifice. He also said following celebrities “makes us feel big,” but only out of a personal emptiness.

Despite people snickering about the idea of sex addiction, he said, it is a very real condition. He said Woods talking about how much his family meant to him while being unable to stop his behavior is the very definition of addiction.

“I’m very hopeful (for Woods),” Pinsky said.

When the golf superstar recently talked about his family and how much he loved them, Pinsky said, there “was a glimmer of honesty.”

But, Pinsky added, “I’m worried he’s going back to work too soon.”

Woods will take to the links this week in Augusta, Ga., for the famed Masters tournament; he met with reporters on Monday to say he was out to win the tournament.

Pinsky said celebrities are no different than other people battling addiction, but they do “tend to be a little sicker.”

As for health care, “I’m kind of optimistic ... I believe there’s an ethical imperative to at least cover people .¤.¤. We need a better system.”